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Dear Friends,
As I write this letter, (beginning of August), after 4 very difficult weeks of war, all the
staff at Beit Issie Shapiro have found resilience and strength to ensure the safety of our
children and provide support for their families. We remain focused on our goals and
continue to run all our programs in the same professional and loving manner we do in
more peaceful times.
Despite the critical situation, we got a call from Kazakhstan. A mom asked us for help
for her 4-year-old daughter Ina, who has severe developmental and motor delays,
and does not speak. As a result of the call, Ina came to BIS for a 3-week treatment
program with her grandmother and her aunt. Working with a speech therapist, and
an occupational therapist were new experiences for Ina since she hadn’t had access
to any previous early intervention. At Beit Issie Shapiro, Ina was able to experience
the Snoezelen multi-sensory room and that’s when amazing things happened…
The second time Ina was in Snoezelen treatment, she spoke her first word in
Russian!
It was a very moving moment to see the emotional reaction of her family
who had never heard her speak. The Snoezelen opened her up, and from there, the
therapists showed Ina how to sit in a proper, adaptive seating where she could play
developmental games in an independent way.
Beit Issie Shapiro (BIS) is seen as a center of excellence, innovating new
methodologies. We are not only getting calls to give treatment to individuals but also
to give training and consultation in countries such as
Romania, South Africa, Mexico,
Japan
and
China,
and we are excited to make a difference in these communities.
We presented our innovations at the U.N. in June and we feel we are able to
showcase the best of Israel in the social sphere. We are motivated to work hard and
create a broad vision of inclusion, and we feel our collaboration with other countries
improves our work in Israel as well as contributes to others.
This newsletter will reflect the impact Beit Issie Shapiro has and this is an important
opportunity for me to thank all our partners for helping make this happen! I hope we
will work together for many years to make a better world for people with disabilities.
Much love and thanks,
Shana Tova to you and your families
Jean Judes
Executive Director
Shana Tova!
Thank you for helping us
reach the sky this year!
